This invention relates generally to the field of undergarments and more specifically to an improved form suitable for use with outergarments of a non-porous nature such as personal body armour for law enforcement and military personnel, workers exposed to excessive heat temperatures resulting from machines, furnaces, industrial and commercial processes, firefighters and gear used in deep-sea diving, asbestos or rubberized protective suits and the like.
The principal problem encountered in wearing garments of this type lies in the non-porosity of the fabric used in the construction of the outergarments. During extended period of stress, emotional and mental tension resulting from prolonged and intensive exposure to excessive heat developed from personal or job-related activities, environment and high humidity, the strength and energy of an individual can be drained causing fatigue and decreased performance due to body heat retention. Since the principal problem encountered in using garments of this type lies in the non-porosity of the fabric, normal heat and moisture and perspiration from those areas of the skin of the wearer underlying the garment is neither absorbed nor transmitted through the garment to the ambient air. As a result, even during relatively cool temperatures, the wearer becomes uncomfortable after a relatively short period following the donning of the garment.
Another problem is that the outergarment, being made of non-porous and/or metallic fabric may chafe, abrade or irritate the skin. The ribs of the undergarment maintain a distance of one sixteenth to one inch between the under and outergarments which will prevent the outergarment from coming in contact with the skin of the wearer.